The present invention relates to a sheet sorting apparatus which automatically inspects sheets such as, for example, securities, slips, stock certificates, and checks (referred to as notes or sheets), and sorts the sheets into reusable notes, unreusable notes and unidentifiable notes.
Recently, various sheet sorting devices of the just-mentioned type have been developed and put into a practical use. The sorting device automatically counts the notes sheet by sheet to check the number of the notes being handled while at the same time detects the unidentifiable notes such as notes where are erroneously taken two at a time, false notes, and foreign notes. These notes are rejected. The sorting apparatus further sorts the notes into reusable notes (referred to as normal notes) and unreusable notes (referred to as worn-out notes), and stacks those notes into 100-note stacks (each referred to as a unit note stack or merely a stack), bundles and stamps those unit note stacks.
Generally, the worn-out notes are destroyed by burning or chemical melting. Actually, as in the case of the normal notes, the worn-out notes must be stored under a strictly supervised condition until those are destroyed. At the same time, it is necessary to invalidate the sorted worn-out notes. "Invalidate the notes" means to invalidate a value of the notes.